The Last Stand
by BridgettSellersArchAngel
Summary: The Golden Fleece has been stolen and the camp is defenseless. Mikayla, Jason, Skylar, and Callie go on a quest to find it. ACTION, ROMANCE, DEATH are all in the story. Read, Review, and no hate! Nico X OC, Connor X OC, Travis X OC
1. Stolen

_Mikayla's POV_

"Mikayla, I cannot permit you to go on this quest! It's too dangerous!" Chiron stated before moving in my way.

"Chiron, you heard what Callie said. Daughters of both archers are to go on this quest. And unless you are saying that I have a sister, I am going on that quest! I'm a sitting duck if the Golden Fleece is gone" I retorted. I felt Travis's hand rest on my shoulder, trying to get me to calm down. I could feel my pulse quickening, my body preparing to shift from human to beast.

"I know but you aren't ready!" he replied, stomping one of his hooves down. I gritted my teeth, trying hard not to shift.

"I was able to bring Artemis back from Olympus! And I fought in Greece against Gaea's forces! How can you say I'm not ready?" I yelled before shaking Travis's hand off me. Chiron's eyes lit up with fear as he watched my eyes dilate. I backed up and ran into a sprint out of the Big House. I leapt into the air and felt my arms grow larger with muscles. Pure white fur grew over my tanned skin. My nose and mouth stretched out into a muzzle as my nose flattened and turned black. My legs grew more muscular as my shoulders widened. Small triangular ears grew on my skull as my mouth filled with jagged teeth. My hands webbed together and formed paws. My feet did the same as black claws grew out of my newly formed paws. I landed in the grass as a polar bear. _"Why do I shift into random animals?"_ I thought as I walked towards the cabins. I got quizzical looks from other campers, but they already knew it was me; the only daughter of Artemis. I was standing in front of my cabin when my best friend, Skylar Murrdock, daughter of Ares, walked up to me.

"Look like someone got a little angry" she joked as she patted my shoulder. I growled and shot her my world famous death stare. "Hey now, don't get fussy with me. Care to explain the transfiguration?" she asked, her guy eyes pondering what caused my shift. I dug my claws into the ground and moved my head towards the door of my cabin. Skylar nodded and walked into the cabin, leaving the door wide open. I backed up and ran into the cabin, jumping through the doorway. My body shifted back to human as I landed on the wood floor. "So what's wrong?" Sky asked as she sat on my bed.

"There was a prophecy revealed…that both you and I are involved in" I replied as I got up and dusted white fur off my shirt.

"What did it entail?" she asked.

"We and two others will go looking for the Golden Fleece" I replied as I sat down next to her.

"That's impossible! I saw it hanged up in the tree with Peleus guarding it like normal" Skylar stated, her eyes flickering with fear.

"But…then the prophecy can't happen. We can't get something that hasn't been stolen. We are safe for now…" she whispered, fear still in her eyes. I nodded and got up from my bed, shifting the dark blue blanket.

"I'll speak with Chiron. Hopefully by the end of the day there will be extra protection over the fleece" I stated as I walked outside. The August heat began to beat down on me, the light being absorbed into my black shirt. Rachel was walking towards me, quietly speaking with Annabeth. I slowly walked onto the porch and went inside. Chiron was rubbing his temples, trying to figure out what to do. "Chiron, the Golden Fleece is still here. We can still keep it safe by adding extra guards along with Peleus" I stated, drawing Chiron's attention.

"Well…it'll do for now. We'll pick two people at random for watch" Chiron stated as he walked outside. I nodded and walked out with him, relief filling my core. Travis jogged up to us, his head getting into his face. I smiled at him, my worries clearing from my mind.

"Hey Moony" he said before pulling me into a quick kiss. His lips were warm and welcoming. I smiled as he pulled away.

"Hey Klepto" I replied as his hand linked to mine. He smiled at his nickname I had given him a few months ago. We slowly walked to my cabin, not a single care in the world between us. His arm hooked around my waist as he opened the door. I giggled and shut the door behind us. Travis sat down on my bed, a smirk growing on his face. I smiled and climbed into his lap, my hands reaching up and running though this hair.

"Someone seems a tad lustful today" he said, his smirk growing.

"As if you don't enjoy it" I replied before kissing his neck.

_Callie's POV_

"I just don't know what I should tell Nico. Its almost like he is too good for me. I mean when he played the song and sun for me…my heart just melted" I stated as I thought back to a few hours ago. I was sitting next to Skylar on the dock, attempting to sort out my emotions.

"Well, sounds like you need time to sort out these emotions…come with us" Skylar said as she got up from sitting.

"What do you mean?" I asked rather confused by what she meant.

"On the upcoming quest. You are a daughter of Apollo which is one of the archers, meaning you can go" she replied.

"I dunno…I've never been on a quest before and I don't think I'm ready" I said as I got up, not looking at her gaze. Her hand gently lifted and rested on my shoulder.

"C'mon, it'll be great! Just me, you, Mikayla, and probably either Travis or Connor, going down south and coming back as heroes! And it'll give you time to sort out your feelings for Nico" she replied, actually convincing me. Before I could give her an answer, Chiron rode up to us at a quick pace.

"Callie, you are on watch tonight" he stated as he stopped in front of us. I raised one of my eyebrows, giving him one of my quizzical looks.

"On watch for what?" I asked.

"We are posting extra guards to watch over the Golden Fleece to at least somewhat put off the quest. And tonight you'll watch from sunset until dawn and be excused from your activities to get some rest" Chiron said before turning and trotting off. I looked over at Skylar a slight smile on my face.

"Well, at least I won't have to deal with that man-whore of an ex tomorrow" I said as I started walking back.

"That's my gir! Just think of the positive thinks, and who knows. Maybe Nico will get put on watch" she joked as she nudged me.

"Oh shut up!" I said as I pushed her back.

~Sunset~

I walked up the hill, my bow in hand. Apollo's sun chariot was disappearing over the horizon. A distant battle cry sounded from the forest, the beginning of Capture the Flag. Peleus grunted a hello as he wrapped his body closer to the tree. The other guard hadn't shown up, sparking my curiosity. I sat down facing the fleece and began to ponder what I should do about Nico. I was so deep in thought that I wasn't paying attention to the approaching footsteps. A twig snapped under a shoe, jerking me away from my train of thought. My neck swiveled and my eyes were locked on Jason, the last person I wanted to see.

"Great…of all the people in this stupid camp I get stuck with you" I grumbled as I looked back at the fleece.

"Don't be like that Callie. It could be a lot worse" Jason said as he sat down a little too close for my liking.

"Spending an entire night with the guy that broke my heart? Yeah I would rather be torn apart by hellhounds" I retorted as I scooted farther away from him. He gazed into my eyes, trying to read my thoughts.

"I know you miss me" he stated with a smirk.

"How can you think that?" I replied, disgust in my voice.

"I know the way you gaze at me during dinner, the way you always start at my muscles whenever I go swimming. Face it Callie, you are still in love with me" he replied sounding as cocky as ever.

"How dare you say that!" I practically yelled. I was so disgusted that I looked away from him. Peleus was almost asleep, somewhat worrying me. He took my chin and jerked it to look at him. I looked up at him in complete surprise. "What are you…" I attempted to say before his lips were on top of mine. Without thinking I found myself kissing back. Before Jason could make another move Peleus roared. I jerked away from Jason and saw Peleus unraveling from the tree. I gazed up and instantly filled with fear.

"What?" Jason asked stupidly.

"The fleece is gone you idiot!"


	2. Trickery

_Callie's POV_

"Are you sure this is what happened?" Chiron asked as he gazed out the window.

"Yes! We must go on this quest now! The longer we want the more likely some of us will get killed!" I yelled. Chiron turned and gazed at me.

"There is one more needed for this quest. Once the last spot is filled you may go" he stated as he crossed his arms. I nodded and hurried out of the Big House, my cheeks burning with anger. I stormed into the Apollo cabin and quickly shoved my clothes into my backpack. I grabbed my bow and quiver and rushed out of the cabin. Fury pulsed in my steps as I went to the courtyard and sat down next to Skylar and Connor.

"What's your deal?" Connor asked as she slid Skylar out from his lap.

"Chiron just doesn't understand how serious this quest is" I replied while crossing my arms.

"He knows, but if he could, he would be sending Percy and Annabeth since they are so experienced. Just be patient, he knows what he's doing" Skylar said, trying to calm me down; it was so surprising she is a daughter of Ares. Before I could reply, Jason walked up, looking as smug as ever. I glared at him as Skylar drew her dagger from the thigh strap she keeps it in.

"What the fuck do you want?" I questioned as he stopped in front of me.

"I just came to say I'm sorry about last night. It's my fault the fleece was taken and I want to make it up to you" he said in a tone of voice that used to make me swoon.

"Oh really? And what did you have in mind?" I replied as I glared at him.

"I'll join you on the quest, and fix the problem I have caused" he said sternly. In a split second Skylar was up on her feet and had her dagger pressed up against Jason's neck.

"I would rather be thrown into Tartarus then go on a quest with the guy who took away the safety of my home" she snarled, her eyes blazing with anger.

"Besides, we already have the sun of Hermes chose" I sneered. Skylar dropped her dagger from Jason's neck, but kept a firm grip on the handle.

"Fine…" he muttered before turning and walking into his cabin.

"I'll get on that quest if it's the last thing I do" Jason muttered under his breath.

_Jason's POV_

I walked back to my cabin a tad pissed off. Callie was being completely immature about this situation. I was going to be the nice guy and fix the problem that I had caused, but nooo. I walked over to my buck and kneeled. I pulled out my trunk and dove into my hidden treasures. After a few minutes of rummaging through canisters of itching powder and stink bombs I found my prize; two vials of centaur's blood. I quickly glanced around the cabin, making sure I was completely alone. With a smirk I walked over to Travis's drawer of clothes and poured the vial all over the clothes he had laid out for later today. I placed the empty vial in my back pocket and did the same to Connor's stuff. After my nasty deed was finished I stored the evidence back in the trunk and pushed it back under my bed.

"I guess those two can't go on the quest…I'll fill in for them" I murmured as I walked out of the cabin

~3 Hours Later~

_Mikayla's POV_

"After I shower I'll come back to your cabin and then we can go to dinner" Travis said before kissing my forehead.

"Alright. Oh! Give Connor a rat tail for me" I replied with a smile.

"Hmm I have trained you well young padowan" Travis joked. I laughed and kissed his cheek.

"Thank you master. Now get moving" I replied before pushing him out of my cabin and shut the door. I could hear him yell in protest and leave. I sighed and laid down on my bed, burying my head in my pillow. I reached out to my bedside table and grabbed my Ipod Touch. I put in the headphones and began listening to a playlist of Skillet, Seether, and Evanescence. After about the third song I dozed off.

After what felt like a minute, I awoke to the sound of banging on my door. I groggily rolled out of bed and walked over to the door. I moved the door slightly open and saw Skylar standing outside with a worried look on her face.

"What?" I snapped; I'm not the perkiest when waken up from my nap too early.

"It's Connor and Travis…something has happened to them" she replied sounding as worried as she looked. I quickly widened the door and walked out. She led me into the infirmary where the Apollo kids were rushing around, trying to help the two kids lying on the cots. I walked over to the bed on the left and say Travis lying there, hives covering all of his chest and legs.

"Oh Gods…what happened?" I asked worriedly.

"Someone put centaur's blood in both of their clothes. Luckily they'll survive but will stay here until the hives clear up" Will Solace stated as he walked up to Connor's bed and stated putting cream on the hives. I glanced back at Skylar who was holding Connor's hand.

"How long until they will be better? Because they were going to on the quest for the fleece" I asked as I looked back at Will.

"Not sure, but they won't be going on the quest. You'll have to choose another son of Hermes" Will stated in a serious tone. Just seconds after Will said that, Jason walked in and over to us.

"Ouch…I guess they can't go on the quest. I'll gladly take their place" he said with a smirk on his face. Skylar just about lost it.

"IT WAS YOU THAT PUT THE CENTAURS BLOOK IN THEIR CLOTHES!" she screamed as she tried to advance on him. I lunged and grabbed Skylar before she almost maimed Jason.

"To my own brothers? I would never! How dare you think that?" he said in a hurt tone of voice. Skylar tried to get out of my arms but I had her in a tight hold.

"You're the one that got rejected from the quest! You're the only one with a motive" she shrieked as she continued to try and break free.

"Oh please, I'm not that desperate" he yelled back.

"Just stop it! We are wasting time with this bickering! Jason you are going on the quest and we are leaving at dawn!" I yelled over the two. Callie looked at me like I was crazy, Skylar looked like she was going to stab me over and over again, and Jason looked pleased with himself.

"Mikayla! Have you gone insane?" Callie questioned.

"Seriously! He poisoned Travis and Connor! How can we trust him?" Skylar asked looking up at me.

"We don't know that for sure. Now I'm going to let go and you aren't going to murder Jason" I stated coldly. I let go of Skylar and watched her carefully. She scowled at both me and Jason but kept at my side. "Now that we are going to play NICE for this quest, we are leaving at dawn. Be packed and ready on the porch"

"Fine…but so much as touch me and you'll lose your fingers" Skylar stated glaring at Jason before leaving. Jason rolled his eyes and walked out. I sighed and pulled up a chair next to Travis and grabbed his hand.

"Am I doing the right thing?" I asked as I looked up at Callie.

"Putting two people that are ready to kill each other on a quest that will go on for the Gods know how long? Great idea!" she replied sarcastically.

"We can't wait any longer. Skylar and I are in much more danger without the fleece protecting us"

"I know, but I can't tell you if it's the right thing. But the Fates think so, so it will happen" Callie replied sounding exactly like Chiron.

"I guess…but I'm afraid that it will end up destroying us…"

"Have faith. Just pray to your mom and Hermes and maybe they'll help us on our quest" she replied warmly.

"Thanks Callie" I said with a smile.

"No problem. I'll see you in the morning, I need to go see someone" she replied before walking out of the infirmary, leaving me alone with Travis and Connor.


	3. Defy A Goddess, Get The Horns

_Callie's POV_

I walked out of the infirmary and into the woods. Knowing Nico, he was probably in our hideout but you never know with him. I followed the path that we had traveled on so many times and could faintly hear a guitar being played. As I got closer, the louder it sounded. Once the tree was in view, I could see Nico sitting on a stool playing and hadn't noticed me yet.

_I went to bed I was thinking about You_

_I ain't the same since I'm living without You_

_All the memories are getting colder_

_All the things that I wanna do over_

_I went to bed I was thinking about You_

_I wanna talk and laugh like we used to_

_When I see You in my dreams at night_

_It's so real but it's in my mind_

_And now I guess this is as good as it gets_

_Don't wake me 'cause I don't wanna leave this dream_

_Don't wake me 'cause I never seem to stay asleep enough_

_When it's you I'm dreaming of I don't wanna wake up_

_I went to bed I was thinking about You_

_And how it felt when I finally found You_

_It's like a movie playing over in my head_

_Don't wanna look 'cause I know how it ends_

_All the words that I said that I wouldn't say_

_All the promises I made that I wouldn't break_

_It's last call, last song, last dance 'cause_

_I can't get you back, can't get a second chance_

_And now I guess this is as good as it gets_

_Don't wake me 'cause I don't wanna leave this dream_

_Don't wake me 'cause I never seem to stay asleep enough_

_When it's you I'm dreaming of I don't wanna wake up_

_Don't wake me we're together just You and me_

_Don't wake me 'cause we're happy like we used to be_

_I know I've gotta let You go but I don't wanna be alone_

_These dreams of You keep on growing stronger_

_It ain't a lot but it's all I have_

_Nothing to do but keep sleeping longer_

_Don't wanna stop 'cause I want You back_

_Don't wake me 'cause I don't wanna leave this dream_

_Don't wake me 'cause I never seem to stay asleep enough_

_When it's you I'm dreaming of I don't wanna wake up_

_Don't wake me we're together just You and me_

_Don't wake me 'cause we're happy like we used to be_

_I know I've gotta let You go but I don't wanna be alone_

_I went to bed I was thinking about You_

_'Cause I don't wanna leave this dream_

_It ain't the same since I'm living without You_

_'Cause I never seem to stay asleep_

_I know I've gotta let You go but I don't wanna wake up_

"You don't have to let go" I stated as I emerged from the bushes and walked over to him. He jumped when I spoke, caught completely off guard.

"Jeez Callie! You scared the shit out of me!"

"Sorry…but you don't have to be alone" I said once again. He set down the guitar and stood up.

"The memories don't have to get colder. You won't lose me…I promise" I replied while stepping closer to him. His eyes were locked on mine, trying to find the next set of words within them.

"Oh Callie…" he whispered before my finger rested on his lip.

"Shh..don't say another word" I whispered. Nico bent down and pressed his lips against mine. I was somewhat surprised but kissed back, smiling across his lips.

_Aphrodite's POV_

"Stupid half-blood…should have listened to me" I muttered as I watched Nico and Callie kissing. I glared and waved away the picture. Ares looked up at me with a raised eyebrow.

"Whats wrong dove?" he asked. I got up from the couch that we were sitting on.

"Oh nothing. I'm just going to make things difficult for someone. I'll be back soon" I replied, plotting in my head.

"Aphrodite, I thought you said you were doing with doing that kind of stuff" Ares stated as he got up from the couch.

"This is different…" I muttered before disappearing. I reappeared in the shower house at Camp Half-Blood…not exactly the cleanest place. Jason Kingston walked out of the stalls wearing nothing but a towel around his waist. He looked at me in complete surprise.

"L-Lady Aphrodite!" he mustered to say as he bowed in front of me.

"Yes I know who I am…Now I came to ask you to do me a favor" I stated sounding as sweet as possible. The instant I said favor someone got a little excited….and stuck out of the towel…

"What kind of favor?" he asked, not realizing what was going on downstairs.

"Not that kind of favor you perv! Fix thy self!" I commanded as I rolled my eyes at him. His face turned bright red as he tried to fix himself so I wouldn't notice. "Anyways I know you still love Callie Johnson"

"What? No…" he replied, his eyes twitching; an instant indication of lying.

"Yes you do. I would know of course. Anyways on the quest I want you to flirt and screw around with her constantly, getting her to fall for you again. Do this for me and you will get your girl back. I know how much you missed her after the breakup" I said with a smile. Jason bit his lip and looked down at the ground.

"Fine…I'll do it"


	4. The Quest Begins

_Mikayla's POV_

I walked over to the Big House, backpack in hand. The others had not arrived yet even thought the sun was starting to appear about the tree line. My left thumb was nervously spinning the silver ring I had on my index finger. My stomach kept on tying itself in knots. I was so nervous I could feel my nads beginning to sweat.

"Sweaty palms? Your father had them, almost dropped you because of it" a voice chuckled from behind me. I turned around and saw a girl that looked about 12 in a short hunting toga. Her eyes gave away her appearance since they looked as ancient as she truly was. Her auburn hair was tightly French braided to the small of her back.

"Mom…" I whispered as I got up and hugged her. As we hugged I felt her grow a few inches taller than me. She let go and looked down at me, pride in her eyes.

"Why are you so nervous? It's a simple quest" Artemis stated as she moved a few pieces of hair out of my face.

"This is nothing like anything I have dealt with before…if I fail…" I chocked trying hard not to break down. Artemis smiled softly and stroked my cheek.

"You won't fail. Just fallow the trace from the start and follow it" Artemis replied sounding so sure.

"But how?" I asked looking up at her eyes, the perfect mirror of mine.

"Tracking like a hunter. Maybe starting with this" she replied before reaching into a fold in her toga. After a few moments she withdrew a golden hair, a tiny part from the fleece.

"I thought you couldn't help on our quests…" I whispered as I took the piece from her.

"That didn't stop Apollo or Athena or Hephaestus or Aphrodite" she replied as she went back to looking 12.

"But Ancient Law!" I tried to say again.

"If I followed Ancient Law I wouldn't be speaking with you. Don't worry, you'll do fine" she replied.

"Thanks Mom…" I said with my eyes locked on the ground. Artemis nodded and disappeared into thin air. I sighed and sat back down, twiddling the piece of fleece in my hand. The others slowly emerged from their cabins, not exactly in the best moods.

"So how are we going to get there" Callie asked as she dropped her bag.

"We could fly" Jason suggested.

"Oh yeah, flying with the one demigod Zeus hates more than Kronos. Great idea" I retorted.

"Well do we know where we are going?" Skylar asked.

"Sorta…I have this" I replied as I showed them our only lead on this quest.

"How will we use that?" Jason asked rather skeptical; I didn't blame him for being that way.

"Um…I don't know…" I admitted as I looked down to the ground.

"Oh great…" Callie muttered under her breath.

"Shut up! This isn't easy for me either!" I snapped, my temper flaring.

"Who ever said I wanted to go on this quest! I could be asleep or with Nico" she retorted, her eyes blazing.

"This is more than about you! This is about all of us and the future of the demigods!" I screamed. My heart was racing and my eyes darkened. I put the hair on my bag and sprinted between Jason and Skylar. I jumped into the air at top speed. My arms grew thinner as well as my legs. My legs became more muscular as white fur grew over my body. My fingers and toes webbed together and black talons jutted out from the tips. A thick, bushy tail sprouted from behind as my nose and mouth was pulled into the shape of a muzzle. My noses flattened and turned black as fangs replaced my normal teeth. Triangular ears grew out of my skull, completing the transfiguration. I landed and looked back at Callie as a wolf, fangs bared. Her eyes lit in fear and immediately shifted down to the ground. My gaze shifted to my bag and noticed a glowing golden aura emitting from the top of it. I padded over to it, my shoulders meeting everyone's waist line. I sniffed at the aura and realized it was coming from the fleece. I turned and saw the aura creating a scent trail going out of camp. I howled in joy and ran after the trail, hoping the others would follow.

_Skylar's POV_

The three of us glanced at each other and quickly picked up our bags. I grabbed Mikayla's, making sure not to lose the small hair and followed the wolf. After about 10 minutes we caught up to Mikayla, but did not break our pace. We sprinted right through the heart of Long Island and continued through Manhattan, getting strange looks as we went. Somehow Mikayla was able to dart though traffic without getting hit by taxis and trucks. At the street just before the Brooklyn Bridge, we got stuck at a red light. Mikayla kept going, not caring that she was in danger.

"Mikayla stop!" I yelled as a taxi came up. Without missing a beat she leapt in the air and landed right on the hood of the car. The driver skidded to a stop, caught by complete surprise. Mikayla hopped off and continued running after whatever she could see that the rest of us couldn't. The lanes were stopped as people got out and watched Mikayla running. We continued running after her, hoping not to lose her.

"I sure as hell hope she knows what she's doing" Jason said as we continued running. After who knows how long we stopped in the middle of a forest. We were all breathing hard, all of us on the verge of collapsing. Mikayla sat down, panting like crazy. She glanced down the forest path, as if looking at the scent.

"Where are we?" Callie asked in between breaths as she sat down on the ground. I shrugged and sat down, looking up at the sky. Mikayla laid down and turned back human unintentionally.

"What have you been following?" I asked as I looked back at her. She looked over at me wearily.

"Scent…trail…must…keep…going…" she replied, panting out each word.

"Oh no you don't. You know how the longer you stay animal the more it drains you" I stated as I crawled over to her.

"Can't stop…monsters…" she muttered before rolling off to sleep. I sighed and looked at Jason.

"Carry her stuff so we can keep going" I stated as I stood up.

"But we have no idea where we are going" Jason protested. In the distance a train blew steam, causing me to slightly smile.

"We are getting on that train" I replied as I picked up Mikayla. She was a lot lighter then she looked, giving me very little difficulty carrying her. Jason nodded and picked up her bag as Callie stood up, brushing grass off her jeans. Once again we were making our way on this mysterious quest.


	5. Free Train Ride

_Skylar's POV_

After about 2 hours, Mikayla awoke from her nap. She wearily got up from my arms and looked around. During her nap, we were at the outskirts of a small town near the border.

"The scent trail…we need to find it…" she muttered.

"But how? You know what happened last time and I don't quiet enjoy having to carry you around the entire trip" I replied as I handed her a peanut butter sandwich. She took it but didn't eat it.

"I don't care…I just need…" she began to say but stopped as she looked at something in the distance; a classic ADHD attack. Jason, Callie, and I tried to follow what she was gazing at but didn't see anything. Without a single word, Mikayla got up, dropped her sandwich and walking towards whatever she saw. I sighed and got up. The other two did the same and followed Mikayla. We found her stopped near a train station. "We need to get on that train"

"Have you seen the prices for a ticket? And we have no actual clue on where we are going" I bluntly stated. She started poking around the area and waved us to follow her around a corner. We all walked over and peered around the corner.

"That train is leaving for Georgia and we need to get on it before it takes off in 5 minutes" Mikayla stated. I began thinking and a light bulb went off in my head.

"Mikayla…do you think you could create a distraction of say…a cheetah?" I asked curiously.

_Mikayla's POV_

I had no idea who I would be able to pull that off. I had never transformed on command or got to choose the animal I would turn into.

"I um…I um…I don't know if I can…" I said as I looked down feeling somewhat defeated.

"Well you change whenever you're angry. So why don't we just piss you off" Jason suggested. I bit my lip and sighed.

"Okay….well one thing is that Travis doesn't love you" Callie said rather coldly.

"It's true, he just uses you for sex" Skylar shrugged.

"I thought you said piss off…not make me feel like crying…" I muttered while biting back tears.

"Oh sorry…" Skylar sighed.

"Someone is over emotional…" Callie muttered under her breath.

"You got something to say Johnson?" I questioned as I looked up her glaring.

"Yeah, when are you off the rag? Maybe then you'll be able to take an insult" she snapped. I curled my hands into fists wanting to make her see stars so bad.

"Oh like you have any room to talk? With your moping about not being with Nico, you have no room to talk about being over emotional" I growled.

"At least I know he's for sure faithful to me!" she retorted, pushing me over the edge. Without thinking I jumped at her, my arms becoming covered in gold-like fur with brown and black spots. My arms and legs thinned out but remained muscular. Fur covered my entire body as a small muzzle formed from my mouth and nose. A tail sprouted out as my fingers and toes became paws. I landed on top of Callie, snarling at her as a cheetah. The force knocked her onto the ground, catching the attention of a few people.

"ITS GOING TO KILL HER! SOMEONE HELP HER!" Skylar screamed, attracting even more attention. People nearby began screaming and running in all sorts of directions. I got off of Callie and ran over to the passenger landing area in an attempt to get security's attention. From the corner of my eye I could see Callie getting up and running onto the train, Jason and Skylar following her. I snarled as a fat security guard began to approach with his nightstick shaking in his hand.

"Are you going to be a nice kitty?" he asked in a baby voice, trying hard not to be cover come with fear. He tried to reach out near my face, getting a little too close to my bubble. In response I jerked my head towards his hand and snapped at the air. The guard pulled away and ran off, leaving the entire train defenseless against a jungle cat. I hopped onto the train and padded through the various cars, causing more people to run off the train in fear of being eaten. After passing through maybe 3 or 4 car trains I saw Skylar sitting on a seat, waiting for me. I sighed and climbed up in the seat next to her. She smiled and scratched behind my ears. I purred as I laid down and closed my eyes and fell into a dreamless sleep.


	6. Train of Seduction

_Jason's POV_

As I washed my hands in the sink, an Iris Message appeared. I deposited a golden Drachma and waited for the picture to appear. Within seconds, Aphrodite appeared in the mist. I bowed and looked back up at her.

"Hello Jason. Have you been doing what I asked you to do at camp?" she asked sweetly, making my knees turn to jello.

"No…I haven't had any time to do anything" I replied sounding defeated.

"You don't have much time! You all are reaching the fleece faster and faster so you must hurry and seduce Callie!" she retorted, anger in her voice.

"I know…but may I ask why I am doing this for you?" I asked curiously.

"Because Callie didn't do as I told her even though I did her a huge favor. No more questions about this! Go and do not tell anyone that I sent you to do this!" she growled before waving away the mist. I sighed and walked out to find Callie

_Callie's POV_

I walked through a couple of train cars, looking for something to eat. After about two more empty cars I found Jason walking around. His eyes met min and he gave me a smile that could still make my knees weak. I couldn't help but smile back at him.

"Hey…what are you doing?" he asked as he walked over to me.

"Just looking for some food. Mikayla will probably be hungry when she wakes up" I replied, trying so hard not to swoon.

"Trying to make up for what you've been saying to make her mad?" he asked curiously. Something in his eyes made me crave his attention even though he had broken my heart.

"Yeah, I've been just feeling terrible about what I've said even though I don't mean any of it. Anyways, what brings you to this train alone?" I asked trying to stand as straight as possible.

"I went looking for you" he stated, steeping a tad closer to me.

"Why?" I asked curiously. There was a twinkle flickering in his eyes, reminding me of the first time we kissed; the memory making my smile widen.

"Because I wanted to do this…" he responded before closing the gap between us in a sweet kiss. My mind drew to a complete blank as I wrapped my arms around his neck. His arms slid around my waist and pulled me closer. Swiftly I jumped and wrapped my legs around his waist, demanding more. He bent down and laid down on the ground, him on top of me. I pulled away and started taking off his shirt. He helped and threw it onto a random train seat. He tugged at my shirt and I complied by taking it off.

~1 ½ hours later~

We were still lying on the ground, slowly dozing off. I rested my head on his chest and nuzzled closer to him. He kissed my forehead and pulled me closer into his embrace.

"I love you Callie" he whispered before falling asleep. I looked at him in complete shock.

"What have I done?" I muttered under my breath. I gazed out the window and saw a too familiar face. Aphrodite stared at me, a smirk on her face. I quickly grabbed my shirt and tried to cover myself from the goddess, my cheeks burning bright red. It seemed like she melted inside the train exactly like a ghost would.

"Well it appears that you had sex with Jason again; and once again you enjoyed it. I sure wonder what Nico would say. Especially since you told him that he won't lose you" Aphrodite stated while her finger against her cheek.

"You wouldn't dare tell Nico…please…" I begged, my cheeks flushing a deep scarlet.

"I didn't protect you from Janus so you could fuck up the love life I had layed out for you" she spat, her eyes turning black as the night sky. I slowly backed away, fear filling my body.

"I'm sorry! It's just…I feel great when I'm with Jason, but when I'm with Nico…the sparks seem to fly and time just moves at a crawl" I replied before getting lost in thinking about Nico. Without warning Aphrodite's hand made contact with my cheek, knocking me out of my train of thought.

"Snap out of it! Now I'll give you one more chance to wait for you choice. But if you screw up one more time I'll make sure you won't love or be loved by anything in this universe!" she snapped, her eyes glaring daggers. I bit my lip in pure fear of the consequence.

"But what about Jason? He said that he loved me" I murmured as I glanced at Jason. His hair covered his eyes and he had a slight smile plastered on his face, making him look super adorable. I sighed and looked back at Aphrodite, my emotions conflicting again.

"I can put an end to that, but you must swear to keep on a straight path away from all boys until the time is right" she stated sounding more like Artemis than herself. I nodded vigorously, being more serious than I thought I could be. "Good, now cover thy self before he wakes up and wants more" she muttered. I finished dressing and bowed before the goddess. And once again as quickly as she appeared, she disappeared. I sighed and placed Jason's clothes near him and walked out of the car, returning to my search for food. After two more train cars I found a small place that had food. I bought a few of cookies and walked back to the car where the others were. Mikayla was still asleep, but she was human. Skylar was gazing out the window, probably thinking about Connor.

"Hey I brought back some food" I said as I sat down in the seat across from her. She looked back at me and took a cookie.

"And it took over an hour for you to get these?" she asked sounding somewhat skeptical.

"This train is huge…takes a while to get to and from places…" I muttered, hoping she would drop the subject. She nodded and resumed looking out the window, nibbling at the cookie. I sighed and closed my eyes and feel into a deep sleep.


	7. The Search Resumes

_Mikayla's POV_

The train jerked to a stop, waking me from my sleep. The others seemed to have just woken up as well. We glanced out the window and realized that it was the next day.

"I guess this is it" I whispered as a golden scent trail began dancing outside. We all got up from the surprisingly comfortable seats and got off the train; we had arrived in Atlanta Georgia. "The scent trail is back and is growing stronger. We must be close" I stated as we began walking out of the train station.

"Any clue on the actual location of the fleece?" Jason asked as we stopped at a red light. I shook my head and looked around. It was about noon and the streets were somewhat empty. I sighed and felt a tad homesick, but I missed Travis more than anything. The sun beat down on our shoulders, the August heat feeling worse down here than back at home. We walked silently as we continued down the street.

"After we get the fleece can we go shopping?" Skylar asked innocently, trying to start a conversation.

"I'm not sure Chiron would approve of that since we do have the future of camp protection to recover" Callie replied sounding exactly like me.

"But Callie…" Skylar joked while imitating Drew. We stopped dead in our tracks and burst out laughing. The seriousness in the air around us seemed to have lifted and it felt like we were back at camp again, safe and secure from the outside world. I wiped a tear forming in the corner of my eye and smiled probably for the first time since we left.

"C'mon…Drew isn't…that…bad…" I tried to say before clutching my stomach and started laughing again. Callie fell to the ground and was literally rolling on the floor laughing. I stopped and wiped more tears. We stopped laughing and readjusted ourselves. With smiles on all our faces, we continued down the path of the scent trail, making small talk as we went on our way. A few blocks passed and the trail seemed to strengthen even more than before. A wicked smile grew on my face and I began running, not caring that I was leaving the others behind.

"Mikayla! What are you doing?" Callie called in confusion.

"It's so close!" I yelled back. The others gave each other and quizzical look and ran after me. Once they caught up I made a quick turn and stopped at the door of a store I never thought I would think of looking in; a Harley Davidson. I glanced back and pushed open the glass door. Air conditioning hit us in a huge wave, causing me to think that Khione, goddess of snow, took the fleece and that we would be fighting her. The smell of leather radiated off the different types of motorcycles. I glanced at my reflection in one of the motorcycles and realized that I really looked like a mess…oh well. Skylar pulled out her sword and looped it onto one of her jean shorts belt. Callie slung her quiver on her shoulder and tightly gripped her bow. Jason drew his daggers and kept them close at his side. I bent down and searched my bag and looked back up worriedly.

"Whats wrong?" Callie asked nervously.

"Please tell me you didn't forget your bow and quiver" Skylar begged, her eyes darkening.

"I have it…but I don't have any nectar or ambrosia…" I stated somewhat scared. The others started searching their own bags but gave me scared looks. "We'll just have to be careful" I said trying to comfort them even though I was terrified. I stood up and walked into the room that was behind more models of motorcycles. I t was empty and cold, but in the center of the room was the fleece, protected by a glass jar. We stopped onto the tile; our foot falls echoing off the walls. Out of nowhere a man appeared from the back and moved to the center of the room. I swear as he walked he shimmered, making me question if he was really there. He was wearing a long black trench coat; kind of like a flasher would wear. His face was covered, making me extremely worried of what was behind it.

"Ah I wondered when the half-bloods would come" the man spoke in an ancient voice as one of his gloved hands reached out and rested on the glass jar. Shivers went down my spine as words came out of his mouth. I had no clue who he was, but Skylar stepped in front of me.

"Morpheus! Why have you stolen the Golden Fleece from Camp Half-Blood?" she questioned, her voice strong and unshaken.

"Because I wanted to watch all you half-bloods run around in fear and terror that you were no longer safe anywhere! It gave me joy though I was bored of my work" he called out at us, sounding proud of his work. I felt my blood beginning to boil but I began trying to control my temper.

"How dare you!" I yelled as I tightly gripped my bow. Morpheus opened his mouth and made a horrible noise that sounded like nails dragging against a chalk board.

"I do not need to explain myself to a silly half-blood that shouldn't exist!" he stated as he turned away.

"Only a coward would say such a thing!" Jason shouted. Morpheus turned back at us, probably pissed off.

"How dare you! I can blast you to pieces at this moment!" Morpheus screamed; yep, most definitely pissed off.

"Jason what are you doing?" Skylar questioned under her breath.

"Getting his attention. He is lying when he says he's going to blast us to pieces" Jason muttered, his eyes locked on the god before us.

"I won't grace you with killing you myself. Instead I'll get a little bit of help" Morpheus stated before snapping his fingers and disappearing. The sounds of snarling and roars sounded from a door in the back.

"Was he lying about that?" I asked as the sounds got louder.

"Nope!"


	8. The Moon's Last Stand

_Skylar's POV_

Out from the back corner the snarls grew louder. I pulled out my sword and prepared for whatever Morpheus had planned for us. A chimera pawed out, the snake heard snapping at the air. I looked at Mikayla, questioning if that was it. She opened her mouth to say something but three more chimeras appeared, each one a different sizes. We charged the monsters, picking one out for ourselves. I cut right and took the largest of all the chimeras. It sensed my presence and spewed flames from its mouth. I dodged the fire and ran under its body. The snake head went between its hind legs, venom dripping from its fangs. The head jerked towards me and I responded with a quick slash with my sword, the head falling onto the ground. The chimera roared in pain and backed away. I glanced over at the others, hoping they had made some form of progress with their monsters. Both Callie and Mikayla's chimera's had arrows embedded in its face and flank. Jason's no longer had the snake head but part of Jason's shirt was singed.

"Callie! Watch out for the tail!" I cried out as the chimera turned its back on Callie, the snake head snapping at her. She nodded and began flinging arrows at the snake, putting some distance between her and the venomous fangs. From the corner of my eye I saw Jason's chimera burst into dust, coating him and the floor around him in golden dust. Jason sprinted over to me, a small amount of blood trickling from his head.

"Need some help?" he asked while his gazed locking onto the chimera.

"Take care of this and I'll grab the Fleece" I shouted as I pointed my sword towards the approaching chimera. Jason nodded and charged at the beast, bellowing a loud and mighty battle cry. I turned on my heel and sprinted back to the glass case. Out of nowhere another chimera leaped in front of the case, blocking my way. I drew my dagger from my thigh strap and threw it at its eye. The chimera roared in agony and pawed at the dagger, trying to dislodge the dagger. I responded and sprinted at the monster yelling. Before it could take notice to me, I slashed my sword down the chimera's chest. The chimera burst into dust all over me. I picked up my dagger and returned my gaze to the Fleece. I picked up the case and held the Fleece, a smile growing on my face. I shoved it in my bag and turned to the others. "I got the Fleece! Let's go!" I yelled. Only two chimeras were left and they were growing tired and weak.

"I'll hold them off! Get outside and I'll be there in 5 minutes!" Mikayla yelled as she drew another arrow from her quiver.

"Mikayla are you sure about this?" Callie called in response.

"Just go!" She cried as she shot another arrow, causing the second to last chimera to explode into dust. Callie Jason and I gave one last worried look and turned. We sprinted out of the building and waited for Mikayla.

"She'll be fine…right?" Callie asked as she bent over and began panting like a dog. I crouched on the ground, breathing extremely hard.

"Yeah…she can handle herself" I replied even though I had my doubts. I sat down and began praying to every single god I knew, praying that she would be okay.

_Mikayla's POV_

Once the others were gone I slowly backed up towards the door. I reached back to my quiver and felt only two arrows left; I was fucked beyond all hope. The chimera smirked as if knowing I was doomed. My back pressed against the wall, cornering me. The chimera padded in front of me, its face only a few feet away from me. I drew an arrow and placed it on my bow, saying prayers to my Mom and Apollo that my aim wouldn't fail me. I shot the arrow and it lodged itself into the chimera's eye socket. It roared in pure agony and pain, using its front paw to defend its face. It turned away and left me around with its snake head and me without something to cut it off. It snapped at me but I ducked at the last second. I rolled to the other side of the chimera, hoping to get an opening at its other eye. I drew my last arrow but didn't bother putting it on my bow. I raised my arm and prepared to stick it into its eye. But then a sharp pain spread through my torso. My body faltered and my hand fell, lodging the arrow into the eye. The chimera howled in agony and disintegrated into dust. I fell onto the floor, my body shaking. I looked down and saw my shirt ripped open, exposing bite marks from the snake, poison spreading through my blood. I crawled out of the room, feeling extremely weak. With what little strength I had left I stood and limped out of the store.

_Skylar's POV_

I looked up and saw Mikayla slowly walking out of the store, gripping onto her stomach for dear life. Her face was extremely pale and seemed to be expressing a lot of pain.

"Mikayla? What happened?" Callie asked, concern in her voice. Before Mikayla could answer she fell onto the ground.

"Got…bit…poison…" she murmured before her eyes rolling into the back of her head. I rushed over to her and began examining her.

"We need to hurry! She's running out of time!"


	9. In The Arms of The Thief

_Callie's POV_

My heart was pounding as we picked up Mikayla, trying to figure out how to save her. Skylar was mumbling different things under her breath, mainly curses and swears in Greek. Mikayla was shaking but didn't wake up.

"We need to get her back to camp" Jason stated. I nodded and looked to Skylar for guidance.

"Well yeah, but how?" I asked.

"We could use your teleporting powers" Skylar replied while looking up at Jason.

"I can't teleport three people at once. And I can't make three trips in a row, it takes too much out of me" he replied sounding defeated. Skylar began pacing, trying hard to think of a solution. She grabbed Jason's sword and smacked it against a new by fire hydrant. Water spewed in an upward direction and began to soak us.

"Callie, you need to talk to your dad and as him to take us back to camp" Skylar said as she tossed me a Golden Drachma. I caught it surprised and looked at her surprised.

"But Sky…I've never spoken with him. Hell I got claimed about three months ago. What makes you think he'll actually help us" I questioned as I stepped towards the water.

"He will because he loves his sister and that's his sister's only daughter! Now hurry! We are losing her with every passing minute" she commanded, concern in her voice. I sighed and tossed the Drachma into the mist.

"Oh Iris, goddess of the rainbow, accept my offering. Show me Lord Apollo" I said as I crossed my fingers, praying this would work. The mist changed and a new picture appeared. A guy that was extremely tan and looked to be about 17 years old appeared. He removed the sunglasses he was wearing and looked at the message.

"Callie Johnson? What can I do for you my daughter?" he asked curiously. My knees started to grow weak; even though he was my dad he was pretty hot.

"We need your help! We need a ride to Camp Half-Blood and we are in Georgia" I said. He raised his eyebrow at my, as if I was crazy for asking.

"Are you on a quest?" he asked curiously.

"Yes but…" I attempted to say in reply.

"Then I can't help you. It's against Ancient Law for gods to help" he cut in. I looked over at Jason and he walked over, coming into Apollo's view. Apollo's eyes widen, as if he knew who she was.

"She's dying and needs to be healed fast" I stated, his gazed returning to me. He sighed heavily.

"Alright. You're lucky I'm currently near where you are…just stay there and I'll be there in about three minutes" he replied before waving away the mist. I sighed in relief and began waiting. Exactly like he said, the sun chariot pulled up, half-way blazing off all our clothes. The chariot switched from a Maserati to a 2011 Mazda 3. Apollo hopped out of the chariot and helped Jason put Mikayla in the backseat.

"We cannot thank you enough Lord Apollo" Skylar stated as she got in shot gun. Jason and I crawled into the backseat, next to Mikayla, keeping a close eye on her. Mikayla's eyes were still closed and her breaths were very light and shallow.

"It's alright, my sister wouldn't be happy if I didn't help her only daughter" he replied before getting in the driver seat. He changed gears and began driving at unnatural speeds, beginning to take off. Soon we were soaring above the clouds. The ride was almost silent, except for Mikayla's faint breathing. After maybe 15 or 20 minutes, Apollo parked the sun chariot in the center of camp. Chiron cantered over as we emerged from the chariot.

"Lord Apollo?" Chiron asked in complete surprise.

"Chiron we don't have time for small talk! We have a half-blood dying and we must act now!" Apollo stated as he took Mikayla from the back and rushed her to the infirmary. We all ran after him, hoping he could save her.

_Travis's POV_

I sat up from my bunk, still a tad weak from the centaur's blood wounds healing. There was a loud commotion outside, drawing my attention. I slipped a pair of flip-flops that I stole from Malcolm and walked outside. A large mob surrounded by a nice car and a random guy stepped out and rushed to the backseat. He pulled out a limp body and rushed to the infirmary; familiar auburn hair hell from the girl's head, filling me with fear.

"No…not Mikayla…" I muttered as I ran after the guy. He set her down on the first cot in the infirmary and began working silently. Jason, Callie, and Skylar were right behind him and watched intently. Mikayla just lay on the cot, taking in small and choppy breaths. "What happened?" I questioned as I moved to her side and grabbed her hand. It felt cold even though she had traveled on the sun chariot.

"She was bitten by a chimera…she's dying…"Apollo replied as he sighed heavily.

"Can you save her? Give her nectar and ambrosia or something?" I questioned as I gripped her hand tighter. Apollo rested his hand on my shoulder, trying to comfort me.

"I'm sorry…it's too late. All I can do is wake her up so you can say your last goodbyes" Apollo replied. I nodded and sat down on the cot, praying this was just a dream. Skylar turned away, hiding her tears from everyone. Jason stood there like a stone, his eyes filled with sorrow. Callie hurried out of the room, tears starting to fall from her cheeks.

"Can I speak with her alone please?" I asked, not looking up because of the tear that was sliding down my cheek. The others poured out of the room, leaving Mikayla and I alone with Apollo.

"I am unsure how long she'll be awake so make it quick" Apollo stated. I nodded and listened to Apollo murmuring in Ancient Greek. Slowly Mikayla's eyes fluttered open, causing a small smile grow on my face. I looked up and nodded a thank you to the god. Apollo sighed and walked outside.

"Trav? How did you get to Atlanta?" she asked in a whisper as a small smile grew on her face.

"You're home baby. You guys made it home" I replied trying so hard not to break down.

"Travis…I'm so cold…could you hold me?" she asked so innocently.

"Anything for you Moony" I replied as I slipped my arms around her. Her skin felt as cold as ice. She gazed up at me with her big silver eyes.

"Travis…am I dying?" she asked, breaking my heart. Another tear slipped down my cheek.

"No baby…you're just falling asleep" I lied, hoping she would buy it.

"Will you be there when I wake up?

"Of course" I lied again.

"Great…sweet dreams Klepto" she whispered before closing her eyes again. Her chest rose and fell once again but stopped; Mikayla, the love of my life, was dead. Tears streamed down my cheeks as I held her closer, as if she would wake up again. Chiron wheeled into the infirmary and had tears in his eyes.

"Travis…we need to make preparations for her burial…"


	10. The Day After

**I don't own the song, it belongs to Evanescence and yes it is one of my favorites=)**

_Skylar's POV_

It was the next morning but no one wanted to speak. It was like everything stopped because of Mikayla's death. Chiron said that there would be a ceremony tonight for her instead of campfire. He asked me to say a few words but I couldn't help but cry. My best friend, the one I confided almost everything in, was dead. Connor came and led me away, but kept quiet. He led me into the Hermes cabin and sat on his bed. I moved into his lap and buried my sobs into his chest.

"She was my best friend…she didn't deserve to die…she was only 17 years old!" I whimpered. Connor wrapped his arms around me and rubbed my back, trying to comfort me. I felt tears falling on top of me, Connor was also crying, but not as hard as I was. We sat together like that throughout the day, not moving a single muscle. My eyes slowly drooped until I was completely asleep.

_Connor's POV_

Sky fell asleep so I did the right thing and carried her to the Ares cabin. Even the Ares kids were broken up about Mikayla since their cabin was dead silent. I set her down on her bed and glanced at Clarisse. She sat on her bed staring out the window, not even acknowledging my presence in her cabin. I walked out of the cabin, needing something to get me out of this depressive state. I looked out to the beach and saw Travis sitting alone in the sand. I walked over and nudged his shoulder. He looked up at me, his eyes red from crying. My heart ached, seeing my own brother so broken was horrible.

"Hey Connor…" he muttered as he looked back at the water.

"C'mon, we both need a pick me up prank" I said, trying to get his attention.

"Why bother? The whole camp is in mourning" he mumbled.

"I know you're upset about her, but you can't just sit there and act like this isn't happening" I said as I crossed my arms across my chest. He shook his head and looked up at me, almost glaring.

"You just don't get it Connor. She was the one girl I wanted to spend my life with! We made a plan for the future! Everything was perfect…and now everything has fallen apart" he snarled, but then softened at the end. I sighed and rested my hand on his shoulder.

"Travis, I get it. But you can't push others away" I replied sounding kinda like an Athena kid.

"I know…but it's hard…Chiron expects me to talk at the service…I just know if I can do it…" he muttered in defeat.

"Just think of it as your final goodbye to her. Make it special and memorable" I suggested. Travis looked up at me, a slight smile on his face.

"Thanks Connor. I really needed that"

"What are real brothers for?" I replied before lightly punching his arm.

_Travis's POV_

I tightly gripped my guitar as I stepped to the center of the amphitheater. The Aphrodite girls had cleaned up Mikayla and wrapped her in the burial shroud the Athena kids made for her. The silver of the shroud seemed to make her look like she was only sleeping. I set my guitar near the fired and waited for the ceremony to begin. Campers filled the theater and Chiron wheeled into center stage. Chiron cleared his throat, drawing everyone attention.

"It is a shame that we must gather here today. But sadly the Fates had decided that Mikayla Elizabeth Ledger, daughter of Artemis, was the one to die to fulfill the prophecy. She bravely accepted the quest, even though she knew her life was on the line. And now her closest friends will do the final honors" Chiron spoke in an upset voice. Some campers had tears in their eyes. From the distance I could see Skylar burying her sobs into Connor's chest. Connor nodded to me, knowing that my time to step up was now.

"Mikayla Ledger…was one of the most daring girls I have ever known. She would never give up on anything or anyone, even if it might have been a lost cause. She was never afraid of anything…not even facing her mother to bring her back from Olympus. She was kind and would never pick on anyone…as if she was wired to be only nice to others. She was loving…and affectionate…" I said, only to get lost in my thoughts of her. I shook my head and picked up my guitar. "Which is why as I final goodbye…I prepared this…"I said as I started playing the beginning chords of the song I chose; it was one of Mikayla's favorites.

_I'm so tired of being here_

_Suppressed by all my childish fears_

_And if you have to leave_

_I wish that you would just leave_

_Because your presence still lingers here_

_And it won't leave me alone_

_These wounds won't seem to heal_

_This pain is just too real_

_There's just too much that time cannot erase_

_When you cried I'd wipe away all of your tears_

_When you'd scream I'd fight away all of your fears_

_And I've held your hand through all of these years_

_But you still have all of me_

_You used to captivate me_

_by your resonating light_

_But now I'm bound by the life you left behind_

_Your face it haunts my once pleasant dreams_

_Your voice it chased away all the sanity in me_

_These wounds won't seem to heal_

_This pain is just too real_

_There's just too much that time cannot erase_

_When you cried I'd wipe away all of your tears_

_When you'd scream I'd fight away all of your fears_

_And I've held your hand through all of these years_

_But you still have all of me_

_I've tried so hard to tell myself that you're gone_

_But though you're still with me_

_I've been alone all along_

_These wounds won't seem to heal_

_This pain is just too real_

_There's just too much that time cannot erase_

_When you cried I'd wipe away all of your tears_

_When you'd scream I'd fight away all of your fears_

_And I've held your hand through all of these years_

_But you still have all of me_

When I finished, all of the Aphrodite girls were wiping make up off their faces. I looked out and saw Skylar getting up and walking down. She stopped and hugged me, knowing this was hard for me as it was for her. She let go and took of the bracelets that she had been wearing since Mikayla's 17th birthday. She kneeled and clamped them onto Mikayla's wrist's just under where the silver cuffs Mikayla already had on.

"I can't thank you enough for saving me that night…" she murmured under her breath. Skylar rose and looked at me. I walked to the other side of Mikayla's body and picked her up. Skylar supported the other side of Mikayla and we slowly marched to the flames. Effortlessly we lowered Mikayla into the fire and dodged getting caught in the flames. The fire caught onto the shroud and began to burn, sending sparks into the night sky.

"Goodbye Moony…I'll always love you" I murmured before turning and walking out of the amphitheater, grabbing my guitar as I left.

_Callie's POV_

After the service I found myself walking to the dock, tears still falling down my cheeks. I never got to apologize to her for all the horrible things I said to her. I never meant anything that I said, it was only to make her angry…and now she'll never know. I sighed and sat down on the dock, staring at the starry night. I heard footsteps falling behind me but I didn't look; I didn't care if anyone saw me like this.

"Callie? Are you alright?" a too familiar voice asked. I turned and watched Nico sit down next to me, the first time I had seen him since I came back from the quest. I shook my head and began crying again. His arms warmly wrapped around me and pulled me into his lap. I shifted and rested my head in the crook of his neck, fearing a little bit better.

"I said so many horrible things to her…and none of it I really meant…now she'll never know…" I whimpered softly. Nico rubbed my back, causing my cries to only be tears slowly sliding down my face. He looked down at me, getting me lost in his big brown eyes. I wanted to close the distance between his, but I knew I couldn't because of Aphrodite.

"It is time to choose…choose wisely…" a woman's voice whispered in my ear. I smiled and my mind cleared.

"Nico…you like me right?" I asked as I wiped my eyes.

"Well yeah I like you. You're my best friend" he replied, not getting at what I meant.

"I meant more than that…" I stated, locking my eyes with his. Even in the dark I could see his cheeks slowly turning crimson.

"Um…yeah I do…I like you…a lot Callie" he whispered. I smiled and moved closer to his ear.

"Good…because I like you a lot too Nico" I whispered and moved back to face him. He closed the distance between us with a delicate kiss. I kissed back and slid my arms around his neck, loving everything minute of this. He pulled away and smiled at me.

"So are we a couple now?" he asked sweetly.

"If that's what you want then sure" I replied with a smile.

"Hmm…I dunno. I might need another kiss to help me figure it out" he replied, his smile turning into a smirk.

"Well I guess I'll help you straighten out what you feel" I replied before kissing him again. And damn did it feel good kissing him again.

_Mikayla's POV_

After I was judged I appeared in a field with grass that seemed to be multi-colored. Even though I was in the Under World where it should have temperatures in the thousands, I felt cold as ice. I looked around and didn't see very many people. I stood up and could hear laughter of a lot of people. I followed the sound and found a lot of houses, changing time periods with each section. A girl olive skin and dark brown hair tied in a braid jogged up to me.

"Hi! You must be new around here. I'm Bianca Di Angelo" she said as she stuck out her hand. She had the same exact dark brown eyes as Nico.

"Mikayla Ledger, daughter of Artemis" I replied as I shook her hand.

"So you're related to Michael Ledger?" she asked as she let go.

"Who is that?" I asked curiously. My adoptive Mom and Artemis never mentioned anyone else in my family tree, let alone my father.

"C'mon, I bet he would love to meet you" she said before running down the hill we were on. I shrugged and followed her, a breeze tugging at the hole in my shirt from the chimera bite. Bianca passed old European cottages and older cabins, people giving us weird looks as we passed. After about five minutes she stopped at a modern two story house. Bianca rang the doorbell and waited. A man about the age of 30 walked out. He had dark brown hair that was straightened and covered his grey eyes.

"Bianca, why is Lady Artemis in the Under World?" he asked in a curious voice. I blushed, not realizing how much I looked like Mom.

"I'm not Lady Artemis…I'm her daughter, Mikayla" I replied. His face completely dropped and he hugged me tightly. I stood there in his embrace feeling completely confused.

"Oh my gods…I thought that the gods would have you killed too" he murmured. He let go and looked at me, a smile on his face.

"What do you mean?"

"Mikayla Elizabeth Ledger, I am your father"


	11. Epilogue

**Epilogue: 17 years Later**

_Travis's POV_

Katie pulled the car to a stop near the entrance of Camp Half-Blood. I got out and had a slight tug on my heart strings. Ryan, my 15 year old son, climbed out of the backseat with a huge smile across his face. Before I could get out and hand him his bag, he ran straight to camp. Katie got out and laughed.

"What is he so excited about?" I asked as she helped Hailey out of her car seat.

"He is just excited to see his friend" Mckenzie, my 10 year old daughter, replied as she got out and pulled out her bag from the trunk.

"Who is this friend?" Katie asked as she handed me Hailey, our adorable 2 year old.

"Some girl named Mikayla. I don't think she's been claimed" Mckenzie replied before hugging Katie. Thoughts of Mikayla flooded my mind. Sure I moved out…but it still hurt thinking about her. I know you're probably saying 'Travis it's been 17 years! How are you still hung over her?' but she was my first for everything.

"I kinda want to meet this girl. You coming Trav?" Katie asked as she and Mckenzie started walking down the path to camp.

"Hang on" I replied before closing the trunk. I quickly walked over to them and we continued walking to camp. We all stopped at Half-Blood hill and took in the many memories that came to mind. I smiled at Katie and continued walking down the cabins. Campers were running around, adding a tad bit of chaos to the mix of things. We walked over to the Hermes cabin and saw Ryan hugging some girl with auburn hair.

"Ryan has a girlfriend!" Mckenzie yelled, drawing the attention of the two. The two instantly separated and their faces began to burn scarlet.

"Kenzie, be nice to your brother" I joked before walking away. I found myself on a path that I had walked countless times back when I was a teenager. I stopped at the Artemis cabin, but somehow I found myself inside. The cabin was empty like normal, but one thing had changed after all these years. A picture of Mikayla hung on the way about her old bed. I sighed and felt a tear slide down my cheek.

"I thought you weren't allowed to be in here" a voice called from behind. It sounded so familiar, but I just couldn't figure out who it was. I turned and saw familiar auburn hair that cascaded down her back in a tight French braid. A pair of silver eyes peered into mine, bringing back so many memories.

"Sorry…just going down memory lane" I replied before walking out of the cabin, passing what seemed like a clone of Mikayla. Katie was waiting from me, smiling at Hailey. I walked over and slid my arm around her waist and pulled her close.

"Connor and Sky said that they would meet us at Half-Blood Hill, shall we see if they are there?" she asked as she looked up at me. I smiled and nodded. We walked up the hill, almost getting run over by our niece and nephew.

"Sorry Uncle Travis!" Taylor, the oldest of the 13 year old twins, said before continuing down the path as her brother Reese chased after her. I laughed and continued walking up the hill. Skylar and Connor were standing on top of the hill, smiling between each other like a bunch of idiots. Katie and I stepped between them, separating their gaze.

"What's with the giant smiles?" I asked as the two looked over at us.

"Taylor and Reese are going to be a big brother and sister" Skylar stated as Connor pulled her closer.

"That's amazing Sky!" Katie said with a smile on her face. Skylar and Katie started talking about future baby names, sounding like a bunch of high school girls. I glanced back at camp and watched Ryan and Mikayla walk over to the arena holding hands. Connor walked over from the other two and rested his hand on my shoulder.

"Ryan is in love" he stated bluntly.

"Yeah…and you would never guess who with" I replied, my eyes locked on my son.

"Is that who I think it is?" Skylar asked as she looked over at where we were staring.

"But how is that possible?" Katie murmured as she held Hailey closer; she knows that I would always love Mikayla but I also loved her.

"Some say a hero can be reincarnated three times and then will live in the Isle of Blest if they were sent to the Field of Elysium" Connor replied completely surprised.

"Well she remember anything from her past life?" Skylar asked, hope in her voice.

"I don't think so…she didn't remember who I was when she found me in the Artemis cabin. Perhaps it's for the best she doesn't remember" I replied while holding up in a sigh. Skylar sadly nodded, probably hoping that her best friend would remember her. We all turned and walked back to our cars, but surprised and saddened at this trip to camp.

_Mikayla's POV_

As I watched Travis leave with Katie, my heart felt like tearing. I would always love Travis and I know he would always love me; but I loved Ryan…he was so much like Travis it's uncanny. As I stood outside my old home, a set of arms slid around my waist.

"Hey Moony" Ryan said smoothly; I guess that's a common nickname for me.

"Hi Swifty" I replied as I smiled up at him. What? I had to give him a different nickname than what Travis had.

"Ready for sparring?"

"Ryan you know I'm better at archery than sparring" I pouted.

"But then I can lock the door behind us…and we could get more alone time" he replied with a smirk. I smacked him upside the head and smirked back at him.

"Bad Ryan! We are only 15! I want to wait until I'm ready" I stated with a playful smile.

"Oww! That hurt!" he moaned as he rubbed the side I hit. I sighed and kissed his cheek.

"Sorry…but it's true"

"It's fine. Let's just go before the Jackson boys beat us there" he stated with a smile. I took his hand and started walking to the arena without any regrets from choosing my fate.


End file.
